By Rabbi
Yisroel Shusterman
This
week’s Parsha Perspective is dedicated by Mr. Binyomin Philipson in memory of
his late mother Mrs. Ellen (Elka bas Zisel) Philipson OBM
One of the most
dramatic moments in Jewish history happens in this week’s Torah portion of Mikeitz
(Bereishis 41:1-44:17). The Torah portion this week recounts the moving episode
of the meeting of Joseph and his brothers, after twenty-two years of
separation. The young boy sold into slavery has since been catapulted to
prominence and is now viceroy of Egypt.
The brothers come down from Canaan
seeking sustenance during a famine. They encounter the viceroy face to face but
do not realize that it is their own long lost brother.
"And Joseph
recognized his brothers but they did not recognize him" (Genesis 42:8).
Rashi quotes the Talmud and explains that when they had last seen each other,
the brothers, being older, were mature and bearded, while Joseph was still
young and without a beard. Thus, it was easier for him to recognize them rather
than vice versa.
Applying a more
homiletic interpretation, the Lubavitcher Rebbe understands the brothers' lack
of recognition not on the surface level but on the spiritual. The brothers were
shepherds. It suited their spiritual lifestyle to be alone in the meadows, surrounded
by nature and unchallenged by a society that might be hostile to their beliefs.
The sheep they tended to didn't give them a hard time on religious issues. That
Joseph could remain a devoted son of Jacob, faithful to his father's way of
life while working in the hub of the mightiest superpower on earth at that
time, was totally beyond their comprehension. They could not fathom or
recognize such a thing.
All Jacob's sons
were righteous men. But Joseph was the greatest. He is known as Yosef HaTzadik,
Joseph the Righteous. Because it is one thing to be righteous in the fields and
the forests. It is another to be righteous among men; especially men and women
steeped in moral depravity, as were the Egyptians.
The viceroy of Egypt
then would be roughly equivalent to the President of the United States, or at
least the Secretary of State, today. Imagine that the person holding such high
office is a committed, practicing Jew. He is successful in the fulfillment of
his governmental duties, brings stature to the position, while at the very same
time living the life of a devout Jew. Quite mind-boggling, but Joseph achieved
it. And it was in this spirit that he raised his children, Ephraim and Menashe.
That's why Joseph is
an important role model for our generation. Most of us find ourselves in a
socially integrated society. We mix in many different circles. We live in a
wall-less, even wireless community. Will we maintain our Jewishness with
dignity and integrity despite the challenges thrust upon us by a wide open
society? This is the question that Joseph answers. It may not be easy but it
can be done. And not only to maintain our own proper level of morality and
decency, but to inspire others by our example.
This links with the
theme of Chanukah, which we are celebrating this week. The Talmud tells us that
the Chanukah lights should be lit "at the entrance to one's house, on the
outside." The Chanukah lights are intended to light up the darkness
"outside." Inside, the home is holy. "Outside" suggests the
opposite. In a spiritual way, the Chanukah lights transform the outside and
illuminate it. We do this through their constant increase: one light the first
night, two the second, and so on. This also expresses the power of the
individual Jew to illuminate the world, through his or her own personal advance
and example, step by step. Then, ultimately, the darkness itself will shine.
(Excerpts
from Chabad.org - by Rabbi Yossy Goldman)
May you
have a meaningful and uplifting Shabbos
and a
joyous and illuminating holiday of Chanukah!
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